TY - JOUR
T1 - Quartz grain features in modern glacial and proglacial environments
T2 - A microscopic study from the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland
AU - Kalinska-Nartiša, Edyta
AU - Lamsters, Kristaps
AU - Karušs, Janis
AU - Krievans, Maris
AU - Rečs, Agnis
AU - Meija, Raimonds
N1 - Funding Information:
and Karol Tylmann, are appreciated. Research was supported by the SIA SunGIS (Edyta Kalińska-Nartiša), by the Post-doctoral Research Project No. 1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/118 Comparision of subglacial and ice-marginal formations and processes at the outer zone of the south sector of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and at the contemporary glaciers in Greenland, Iceland and Antarctica (Kristaps Lamsters) and by the University of Latvia project Climate change and sustainable use of natural resources No. AAP2016/B041. We thank Reinis Pāvils for field assistance.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Polish Academy of Sciences.
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - It is assumed that close to the margins of ice-sheets, glacial, fluvial and aeolian processes overlap, and combined with weathering processes, produce numerous sediments, in which quartz is a common mineral. Quartz grains, if available, may serve as a powerful tool in determining the depositional history, transportation mode and postdepositional processes. However, quartz grain studies in some modern glacial areas are still sparse. In this study, we examine for the first time quartz grains sampled from the modern glacial and proglacial environments of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland in binocular microscope and scanning electron microscope, to analyze their shape, character of surface and microtextures. We debate whether the investigated quartz grains reveal glacial characteristics and to what extent they carry a signal of another transportation and sedimentary processes. Although glacial fracturing and abrasion occur in grain suites, most mechanical origin features are not of a high frequency or freshness, potentially suggesting a reduced shear stress in the glacier from its limited thickness and influence of the pressurized water at the ice-bed. In contrast, the signal that originates from the fluvial environment is much stronger derived by numerous aqueous-induced features present on quartz grain surfaces. Aeolian-induced microtextures on grain surfaces increase among the samples the closest to the ice margin, which may be due to enhanced aeolian activity, but are practically absent in sediments taken from the small scale aeolian landforms. In contrast, aeolian grains have been found in the bigger-size (1.0-2.0 mm) investigated fraction. These grains gained the strongest aeolian abrasion, possibly due to changes in transportation mode.
AB - It is assumed that close to the margins of ice-sheets, glacial, fluvial and aeolian processes overlap, and combined with weathering processes, produce numerous sediments, in which quartz is a common mineral. Quartz grains, if available, may serve as a powerful tool in determining the depositional history, transportation mode and postdepositional processes. However, quartz grain studies in some modern glacial areas are still sparse. In this study, we examine for the first time quartz grains sampled from the modern glacial and proglacial environments of the Russell Glacier, southwest Greenland in binocular microscope and scanning electron microscope, to analyze their shape, character of surface and microtextures. We debate whether the investigated quartz grains reveal glacial characteristics and to what extent they carry a signal of another transportation and sedimentary processes. Although glacial fracturing and abrasion occur in grain suites, most mechanical origin features are not of a high frequency or freshness, potentially suggesting a reduced shear stress in the glacier from its limited thickness and influence of the pressurized water at the ice-bed. In contrast, the signal that originates from the fluvial environment is much stronger derived by numerous aqueous-induced features present on quartz grain surfaces. Aeolian-induced microtextures on grain surfaces increase among the samples the closest to the ice margin, which may be due to enhanced aeolian activity, but are practically absent in sediments taken from the small scale aeolian landforms. In contrast, aeolian grains have been found in the bigger-size (1.0-2.0 mm) investigated fraction. These grains gained the strongest aeolian abrasion, possibly due to changes in transportation mode.
KW - Arctic
KW - Greenland
KW - modern glacial environment
KW - quartz grains
KW - scanning electron microscopy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030253492&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/popore-2017-0018
DO - 10.1515/popore-2017-0018
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85030253492
SN - 0138-0338
VL - 38
SP - 265
EP - 289
JO - Polish Polar Research
JF - Polish Polar Research
IS - 3
ER -